Shoal Lake No. 40 First Nation, Ottawa reach $17.45-M treaty settlement

Shoal Lake No. 40 First Nation filed the treaty land entitlement claim in 1991. GREG GALLINGER / FREE PRESS FILES

SHOAL Lake No. 40 First Nation and the federal government have resolved a long-running treaty land entitlement claim and have agreed on a $17.45 million settlement.

The claim relates to seven islands in Indian Bay on Shoal Lake — known as the Garden Islands — which were promised to Shoal Lake No. 40 First Nation under Treaty 3 but were never set aside as reserve land, a Thursday news release said.

The First Nation filed the claim in 1991.

"This claim has been outstanding for many years, and we are very pleased to have reached settlement on this important matter," Shoal Lake Chief Herb Green said in the release. "We continue to uphold our shared connections to these islands, and the settlement of this Claim is an important part of Shoal Lake No. 40 history and legacy."

Shoal Lake No. 40 First Nation straddles the border of Manitoba and northwest Ontario. Winnipeg gets its drinking water from Shoal Lake.

"Resolving specific claims is vital to renewing Canada's relationship with First Nations and advancing together in the spirit of reconciliation," Rebecca Alty, minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, said in the release. "This settlement with Shoal Lake No. 40 First Nation addresses Canada's historical failure to uphold a Treaty 3 obligation and reflects our government's commitment to addressing past wrongs."